U of SC Honors app was 5 essays as recently as 2 years ago, if that’s any consolation. They requested apps by 10/15, I think, so make sure they’re still accepting Honors College apps before you knock yourself out on the essays.
Still not sure that you understand that merit aid usually replaces (is not in addition to) need-based aid. If Case Western or Tulane offers you $30,000 per year in merit, they won’t also offer you need-based aid, as your cost after merit would be less than your EFC. So your annual cost will be about $36,000 at CWRU, closer to $40,000 at Tulane.
Duke offers a very few high value merit awards. They don’t offer $10,000 merit awards to random applicants. And you say you are award that Yale offers zero merit. So we don’t understand how, if the NPC at those two schools shows a price of $40,000, you hope to get merit to subsidize another $10,000.
Tulane is your best bet based on your criteria but they care about demonstrated interest and the deadline is soon. Tulane is not a safety although applying ED would help greatly. EA or ED is required for merit aid.
You would likely get their $32,000 merit aid based on your stats. If you apply to Deans Honors Scholarship and Paul Tulane I think you would also be competitive and both are full tuition. If you just get the $32,000, your net cost would be just above $30,000/year. Being a dorm RA could reduce that your sophomore year.
But again, Tulane can be fluky on admissions with high stats applicants and DHS and Paul Tulane are involved applications. Early Action deadline is 15 November and DHS/Paul Tulane is 05 December.
https://admission.tulane.edu/apply/deadlines-forms
I looked up Tulane’s COA before I posted above, and they are showing $69,764 per year excluding transportation. There is some play in that in terms of books and personal expenses, but a $32,000 merit award won’t get him close to $30,000. And counting on a competitive RA position is never a good strategy. R&B is over $14,000/yr; does he drop out if he isn’t selected as an RA?
OP, you may have a good shot at a Tulane or DHS award. Work hard on those if you like the school.
I believe the cost was closer to $65,000 last year but I’m going off of memory. Daughter ended up somewhere else. It’s still closer than he’ll get to $30,000 net cost at any other private, at least with a high probability of merit aid.
OP would have net price of $38,000 if awarded the $32k. Earn $4,000/year between term time and summer work and you are at $34,000 which is within range of a student’s ability to take out loans (approx. $5,000/year). But again, Tulane is flukey on admissions and DHS/PT. It is worth the application time though.
I still think Rutgers, ASU or U of A (Arizona, not Bama) should get strong consideration but that depends on openness to State U’s that are not on everyone’s lips (UNC, UVA, Mich, etc.).
If you need to keep you net cost at $30,000 or less, then you need to look at schools where that will BE your net cost. You may have to make some compromises if you really don’t want to go to your instate public U…and you want to go OOS. Maybe the money will be there for,you…and maybe it won’t.
I personally think you need to figure out your priorities…if finances are at the top of your list, you need to consider finances first. Look at many options out there…starting with your instate options.
You may find these will work just fine.
Getting your net cost to $30,000 at a private university with a COA of $65000 or so is going to be a challenge.
@LuckyCharms913
I know my deadlines, thank you for the concern. 
I suggest looking at Hofstra in NY. It is a widely underappreciated school with an excellent honors program. It is not highly ranked but it offers a great education and tons of merit aid. My daughter went on a full ride scholarship and has just been accepted to medical school. The money we saved will allow her to graduate from med school with no debt. She will not be any less of a doctor because she didn’t go to an IVY league undergraduate institution. Don’t look down on lower ranked schools. Remember how arbitrary those rankings really are. Don’t go into debt to pay for college and don’t let your parents do it either if you can help it.
@traderjane
Your daughter was VERY lucky to get such generous aid from Hofstra. TBH, most applicants don’t see the same generousity and the school is very expensive.
Just to add to this, in case anyone winds up viewing it in the future, I wound up applying to Miami University-Ohio and University of South Carolina Honors College, both for their merit aid. From Miami, I received a $24,000 annual scholarship (making OOS tuition $8,000/year) and from USC, I received an initial scholarship that lowered my tuition to the in-state price, along with promises of more money to be given in March (at least $25,000 a year). In addition, I recently found out that University of Pittsburgh gives GENEROUS merit aid. All three schools have highly ranked honors programs or colleges.
U Denver has an international studies program, COA 67.7k including books, fees, etc, with a range of merit scholarships - top merit scholarship is 26k. https://www.du.edu/financialaid/undergraduate/typesofaid/grantsandscholarships/du.html I have no idea how competitive the top scholarship is, but it would bring the price down to 42 (edited for bad math). Deadline is Jan 15.
@evergreen5
If the TOP merit is $26,000 and the COA is $67,000…that leaves a $41,000 balance to pay…not $32,000.
Sorry,but I do not think that is such a bargain!
@thumper1 Whoops, it’s been a long day. Thanks for catching that.
DU also has housing scholarships for the first 2 years.